Grip gripe

Posted by R. Berg September 22, 2005In reply to Grip gripe posted by Camilo Marquez on September 21, 2005

"Get a grip, man!" -"You must come to grips with reality". GRIP - GRIPS? Why sometimes used in the plural, othertimes singular?

Maybe because "coming to grips with X" brings up images of a wrestling hold or a handshake, where two participants each have a grip. "Coming to grip with X" wouldn't work, nor would "Get grips, man!"